Clamp for paper-filing devices.



M. WIESNER. GLAMP PoR PAPER'PILING DEVICES. APPLICATION FTLED JAN. 11, 1906.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Snom/tor ANDREW. a. Gamm co., mowlmuoemmm msmuorc. a l;

vNITED STATES PATENT FFIFM MORITZ WIESNER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR T0 YAWMAN & ERBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW' YORK.

CLAMP FOR PAPER-FILING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2a, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORITZ WrEsNER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Paper-Filing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates generally to paper filing devices, but is particularly applicable to card index ling cabinets of that type wherein the drawer or container corresponds substantially in inside dimensions with the cards used and is provided with a follower whereby the latter are kept upright and compact in horizontal rows, both cards and follower having apertures if desired, for the reception of any preferred form of lock r'od to prevent displacement of the contents, and it has for its object to provide the follower with an improved automatic clamping device for retaining it in the different positions occasioned by the varying quantities of cards employed against which it is longitudinally moved into Contact and a further feature of my invention lies in the economy of parts and simplicity of construction embodied therein.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be more fully explained hereinafter, the novel features being pointed out in the claim at the end of the specification. f

In the drawings Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal section of a card index drawer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line a-a of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of detached parts.

In the drawings is represented an embodiment of my invention consisting of a drawer or receptacle having the front, side and back portions numbered respectively 1, 2 and 3, the bottom being preferably formed of two detached pieces 4 and 5 with the interval which separates them constituting a longitudinal central slot in which is located a bar fastened at its respective ends to the front and back in any suitable manner, but in the present instance by screws 7. This bar is attened upon its upper and lower sides for purposes about to be described, and lies preferably with its top surface flush with the door of the rece tacle. The follower block 8 is, in itself, of t e usual construction and is provided, preferably upon its rear side, with a yoke 21 extending beneath the bar 6 to engage the underside thereof and so shaped as to conform very closely thereto that the latter may act as a guide or way and prevent any undue motion in a direction other than that in which the follower is intended to travel. The yoke is formed of a continuous piece of Hat material, the ends or arms 9 being disposed at right angles to the face of the follower and provided with flanges 11 secured to the latter as by the screws 10.

Operating within the yoke is a clamping lever or finger 12 having the backwardly-extending flanges 12a pivoted on the pin 13 about which is coiled a spring 14 in such manner that the ends 15 and 16 bear against the follower and the upper arm of' the lever respectively, to force that arm normally outward and hence move the opposite arm inwardly until the end 17 engages the surface of the bar 6. The length of this arm is such as to be only a little greater than the distance from the pivot to the coperating surface so that when in engagement the lever is very nearly in a vertical position, though not quite so, and any force acting to move the follower backward will serve to make it bind and clamp the bar more tightly between it and the yoke. Nevertheless, ordinary pressure of the lingers upon the upper arm against the tension of the spring will release the clamp when the follower may be moved at will in either direction.

When a lock rod, such as that represented by 18, is used, it in no way interferes with the mechanism just described as it is readily accommodated by forming a registering aperture 19 in the lever and a corresponding one 20 in the follower.

It will be seen that the above construction comprises relatively few parts resulting in great simplicity of manufacture and operation. Both the yoke and the lever operating therein are capable of being and preferably are constructed from sheet metal blanks, stamped out in a single piece and then bent to their required form to the advantage that they require no finishing and may be manufactured cheaply in any quantity. The lever,

being entirely contained between the arms of the yoke, is protected by it so that it cannot be jammed against the rear wall of the receptacle when the follower is pushed bank as far as possible and the construction also allows the yoke and follower to engage at opposite points on the bar resulting in a much iirrner binding action.

` I' claim as my invention:

1. In a clamping device, the combinationv with a bar forming a track and a follower movable relatively thereto, of a; yoke secured to the fgollowerand arranged entirely inrear thereof, said yoke comprising substantially parallell arms arranged latenally of the barand a single connecting portionfarranged en- Likely below and engaging beneath the bar, anda, lever pivoted; between, the arms ofthe yoke and engaging upon the upper surface of the bar. A

2. ln a clamping device for card index followers, the combination with a bar forming a track and a follower movable relatively thereto, of a yoke on the rear side of the follower having tlie connecting portion eXtending beneath the bar in rear of the follower, the rear edges of the yoke eXtendingat right angles fromthe rear of the follower, one of the arms being provided with a flange eX- tending over the follower and securedtheretoand a lever pivoted between the arrnsa-nd engaging the top of the bar.

MORITZ VIJESNER; l/Vitnesses:

G. WILLARDl Riera RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH. 

